


Fated

by weneebebe



Category: K-pop, Monsta X (Band), SHINee
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Mythology, Ancient History, Ancient Korean Folklore, Demons, Explicit Sexual Content, Idols, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Mutual Pining, Old Gods, Pining, Polyamory, Strangers to Lovers, lovers to strangers to lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-14
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:08:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27010240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/weneebebe/pseuds/weneebebe
Summary: Deep, deep below the floating world of the living, resided the seven lords of Hell; Hyunwoo, Hoseok, Minhyuk, Kihyun, Hyungwon, Jooheon, and Changkyun. Tasked with doling out punishments for the wicked, each lord sat on a throne of iron and ancient bones, overseeing their kingdoms. So it was for thousands of years; and so it would be for thousands more - if not for a determined, beautiful necromancer named Lee Taemin, who came dancing at the rock gates of Hell in search of his greatest love.
Relationships: Chae Hyungwon/Im Changkyun | I.M, Chae Hyungwon/Lee Hoseok | Wonho, Im Changkyun | I.M/Lee Hoseok | Wonho, Lee Hoseok | Wonho/Everyone, Lee Hoseok | Wonho/Lee Jooheon, Lee Hoseok | Wonho/Lee Minhyuk, Lee Hoseok | Wonho/Lee Taemin, Lee Hoseok | Wonho/Son Hyunwoo | Shownu, Lee Hoseok | Wonho/Yoo Kihyun, Lee Jooheon/Lee Minhyuk, Son Hyunwoo | Shownu/Yoo Kihyun
Comments: 2
Kudos: 24





	1. 지루함 (boredom)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lavenderpeachbby](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lavenderpeachbby/gifts).



> this story was almost entirely inspired by Taemin’s “Criminal” dance stage, please check it out here! https://youtu.be/y3FbS81s-DA
> 
> *each Yeoldaewang (lord of hell) is one of the boys, running a different circle of hell  
> *please read chapter 6 before starting this, or, once you're finished! But please read it all the same~

_Deep, deep below the floating world of the living, resided the seven lords of Hell; Hyunwoo, Hoseok, Minhyuk, Kihyun, Hyungwon, Jooheon, and Changkyun. Tasked with doling out punishments for the wicked, each lord sat on a throne of iron and ancient bones, overseeing their kingdoms. So it was for thousands of years; and so it would be for thousands more - if not for a determined, beautiful necromancer named Lee Taemin, who came dancing at the rock gates of Hell in search of his greatest love._

_For you see, Lee Taemin was tasked, too, with something of a divine purpose; he was bound by fate to the little lord Hoseok, and was resolved to bring him to Heaven to be by his side for eternity. Armed with nothing but his wits and his memories, Lee Taemin will dance at the rock gates of hell to bring his lover back._

_*_

Hoseok sighed, his chin in his hand as he sat languidly on his throne. His palace was empty but for the whispers of his shadow servants, floating to and fro at his bidding. Ever capricious, he had sent for Jooheon to come quickly, to pass the time as they often did: indulging in drink, and food, and flesh. How else should the two beautiful royals while away the hours? He’d already made his rounds of the captives in his kingdom, inspecting them being fantastically tortured by his many minions - though it was his duty, Hoseok hated to spend time in the darker depths of his kingdom, where not even candlelight seemed to make a bit of difference. He winced at the thought of having to do it all over again the following day, and the day after that - in perpetuity. Thankfully though, a familiar voice in his ear distracted him.

“Hello, handsome,” Jooheon’s velvet voice made him shiver. “You wanted to spend some time with me?” He slipped a strong, sure hand beneath the fabric of his robe, caressing his chest. “Hungry for me, again, are you?” He teased, pretty canines glinting in the fire’s light. “How greedy, my little lord.”

Hoseok leaned into Jooheon’s touch, surrendering a little; wanting desperately to be distracted. “Perhaps,” he replied coyly, used to the lord’s flirtations. “But I thought we might stroll the lake together, for a change of scenery.”

Jooheon laughed a hearty, almost mocking laugh at that. “A change of scenery!” He parroted as he kissed down Hoseok’s neck, unmoved by his suggestion. “Nothing changes here, Hoseok, you _must_ know that by now,” he held the little lord’s face in his hand. “But I will happily stroll the lake with you… before devouring you whole and making you cry out in ecstasy, like one of your lost souls.” He kissed him then, deeply and slow, wringing a gentle moan from Hoseok’s swollen lips. “After all, that _is_ the reason you sent for me,” he reminded him. “You do not have to pretend,” he said sweetly. “Not with me.”

Hoseok knew the lord was right; and they were too familiar now to indulge in games of misunderstanding; he managed a grin. “Lead the way, Jooheon,” he rose from his throne, part of him glad for the company; and part of him feeling a strange ache of - of what? he could not place it - in his heart. He shook it off, though, as the pair walked together through the fields of deep-red roses, the asphodel, and the round, pretty black dahlias - those were new; Hoseok had them installed on a whim. He’d managed to redesign much of his little kingdom as he’d liked, in fact; though, he could not recall what it had looked like before he’d orchestrated the changes. It was dark, and quiet, and surrounded by eternal flames licking at rocks and ruins - but Hoseok had wanted endless fields of flowers, too. So, the council had compromised and let him have his way. As they strolled together, Jooheon did notice that Hoseok seemed more contemplative than usual; and he was curious.

“Let us rest by the water,” he suggested, taking Hoseok by the hand and leading him to sit against the blackened willow tree by the ruby lake’s edge. “What is on the great lord Hoseok’s mind today?” He asked, skillful fingers loosening the pins in Hoseok’s hair, making the long, thick black strands fall about his shoulders; kissing his temples, Jooheon purred against his porcelain skin. “And how may I be of service?”

Hoseok sighed, melting into the lord’s intoxicating embrace. “Make me forget, for a while,” he murmured, sadness caught in his throat. “I want to forget things,” he looked into Jooheon’s beautiful brown eyes and kissed him then. “You have always been so very adept at that,” he smiled against his lips.

Jooheon was used to the little lord’s spells of apathy, but something felt different today; he took his chin in his hand and kissed him, licking languidly into his mouth and wringing a pretty little sigh from him, straddling his hips and loosening his robes. Hoseok lay back on the ashen grass beneath him and gave himself over to the young lord, over to his skillful hands and practiced tongue.

In the still and silence of the eternal dusk, the lords’ soft moans filled the air.

*

Hoseok lay on his expansive bed, having sent away the lords Minhyuk, Changkyun, and Kihyun after their visit - he’d spent the last hours with them, and his body still gleamed with beads of sweat illuminated rather delicately in the candlelight of his rooms. He sighed. Rolling over onto his side, he reached for the opened pomegranate at his bedside and picked at the seeds, indulging in a memory he knew would only cause him pain.

_“What do you mean, I am to be the... the lord of this place? What have I done to be trapped here?” Hoseok demanded, more frightened than bold - but he dared not show it. “How can this be?”_

_The council of lords looked down upon him from their blackened thrones; six beautiful, but stern and unmoving faces passed their judgment upon him. Sitting in the center throne, one spoke up. “It was arranged in the upper world, the world of the living where we do not go,” he explained. “And it was in fact your decision, Hoseok,” he looked down on him with something almost akin to pity in his eyes, then. “Of your own accord, you have bound yourself to this place, and must rule the second circle all on your own. It has been decided.”_

_“Surely, not by me!” Hoseok countered, still not understanding._

_“Yes, by you, little one,” The lord descended his throne and reached a hand out to him. “You will have no memory of your earthly life, those have been taken from you; you do not need them anymore,” he went on. “Come now, my little lord,” he looked into Hoseok’s eyes then, and he felt his very blood turn to ice inside him. “I will show you how things are done.”_ ****

“Enough!” Hoseok threw the pomegranate across the room, the force of it smashing the flesh apart against the stone wall and scattering the remaining seeds along the cold floor. “It’s enough...” he drew his knees up to his chin and sat upright in his large, lonely bed. “This cannot be all there is...” And then, knowing he was utterly alone, he indulged himself, and wept.

*

Without really meaning to, Hoseok’s found himself in the lord Hyungwon’s bed, tangled in silk sheets with his hands playfully bound above his head - the lord _did_ like to play games, after all. But Hoseok only sighed, and was not in his usually pliant mood. “How long has it been,” he murmured softly between Hyungwon’s kisses, “how long has it been since I came to be here? I do not remember...” he said, a touch of sadness in his voice.

Lord Hyungwon scrunched his face in disbelief. “Little one, you have been here for over a thousand years now,” he cooed, kissing Hoseok’s neck and splaying his beautifully long fingers against his bare chest. “You have stepped into your duties as lord of the second circle well,” he reminded him, teasing the pretty flesh with his nails. “Why are you beset with such melancholy of late?” He kissed down his chest, every press of his lips leaving a pretty trail of bruises. “Am I not enough of a distraction for you, any longer?”

Hoseok sighed, not in the mood to attempt to fight off the lord’s advances; he let himself be touched and kissed, his body responding how it always did - enthusiastically. As the lord spread his thighs and kissed the delicate flesh, Hoseok closed his eyes. “I do not know,” he confessed, “I do not know why I am so joyless,” he hissed at the feeling of the lord Hyungwon’s mouth on him, tongue lolling wantonly around his length. “Distract me, Hyungwon...” he groaned, feeling a faint flush of desire wash over his body as the lord bobbed his head between his legs.

“As you wish, my little lord,” Hyungwon flashed his beautiful teeth and his eyes glowed red, devouring him once again and making Hoseok cry out in earnest at last, finally allowing himself to feel.

Though, Hoseok’s heart ached.

*

“If you yearn for a change, why then do you not sit and watch the rock gates?” the lord Hyunwoo asked Hoseok, teasing at the ribbon in his hair as they lay in his bed. “I recall you rather enjoying that, once.” He ran careful fingers through Hoseok’s long hair, kissing his temple. “Or would you perhaps prefer to rest by my side for a while in the first circle?” He offered.

Hoseok turned onto his side, facing away from him. “I do not much care for your kingdom, truth be told,” he explained. “Your methods of torture are...” he could not find the words. He shook his head. “I much prefer it when you visit me here,” he said.

The lord Hyunwoo sighed and sat up, drawing his knees in close. “The others have noticed a change in you, my little lord,” he caressed the curve of Hoseok’s slim waist where he lay. “I do not know what tugs at your heart so,” he shrugged. “You have been here with us for over a millennium, and you have never been so troubled as you have been of late.”

“Has it... has it really been so long?” Hoseok asked, turning onto his back and glancing at the lord Hyunwoo. “How long... how long have _you_ been here?” He was curious and reached for the lord’s hand to hold in his own, lacing their fingers together, studying them. He looked into his eyes then, and the lord Hyunwoo was strangely overcome with a desire to protect the beautiful young royal. He kissed him softly.

“We have been here since the beginning of all things,” he explained, holding Hoseok’s face in his hand. “Forged in the ashes and dust and fire, we have lived here since the birth of the world; and probably before that, as well.” He smiled ruefully. “But you, my little lord,” he kissed him again. “To us, your being here has felt like the blink of an eye.”

“It feels longer to me,” Hoseok confessed. “I cannot understand why I am suddenly so restless,” he lamented, melting into the lord Hyunwoo’s embrace. “I do not know what is making my heart ache.”

The lord Hyunwoo looked on sympathetically and kissed Hoseok’s forehead. “Take up your old post at the rock gates,” he suggested sweetly, “clear your mind; perhaps the responsibility of guarding our realm will remind you of your place here,” he kissed him again, more tongue and teeth than before; reaching beneath the silk bedding, he began to tease and stroke the little lord until his mind focused on other things, and his heart was put at ease.


	2. 설득력 (persuasive)

Hoseok walked through the cold stone hallways towards the beautiful, ancient rock gates of hell - carved with wild horses and dragons, flames and phoenixes, the volcanic rocks towered high above his head and made him feel small, almost insignificant; Hoseok liked that. He had not been back to his iron and ash throne in some time; though, he could not say exactly how long. Time passed like water through a sieve and yet like stones through lace; fast and slow all at once. He shook his head, assuming the position and leaning on his elbows against the edge of the veranda, peering down at the rock gates, guarding them. It was rare that the gates were disturbed; passage through them required intense spiritual energy and a divine edict - guarding them was more tradition than necessity, the lord Hyunwoo had explained to him once; but still, Hoseok loved the solitude. He sighed. And then, he remembered -

_“Come, my little lord,” Changkyun took him by the hand and led him through the flames, “let me show you the gates.”_

_“The gates?” Hoseok asked, unsure. “The gates to where?”_

_Changkyun smirked. “The gates to Hell,” he replied sweetly, as though it were the most sensible answer in all the world. “They’re beautiful, just like you,” he cooed gently, curling their arms together as they walked the ash path. The lord Changkyun led him down, down depths of volcanic rock mass and flame, of ancient, bare and blackened trees, and shriveled flower fields. Soon though, they reached their destination, and Hoseok gasped in disbelief at the beauty of the gates._

_“Who made these?” He asked, mouth agape at their scale and detail, the very carvings threatening to leap forward and come to life any moment._

_“These gates have been here since the birth of the world,” Changkyun replied sagely. “They were here before we were; and we are bound to watch them, lest they come crumbling down.” He led Hoseok up a winding, precarious staircase to where his iron and granite throne stood, unmoving and cold. “Would you like to spend some time with me here, my little lord?” He asked, setting Hoseok in the palatial seat and straddling him there, kissing down his neck. “It is lonely, and all we have to distract ourselves is each other.”_

Hoseok had given in, then - just like he always had done. At first, he’d craved the intimacy of the other lords, who were so very free with their affection; calling for them and using them just as they used him. But now, sitting alone and forced to keep company with his limited recollections, he was glad of the solitude.

Until there was a knock at the gates.

Hoseok was intrigued. He stood now, leaning as far over the ledge as he could. “Who is that, knocking at the gates?” the little lord wondered. His interest piqued, he descended the blackened staircase and stood at the closed gates. Beyond them, he could hear the sound of a flute being played. _They’re dancing,_ he realized. _Someone is trying to entice the gates open._

*

Lee Taemin’s brow gleamed with a thin film of sweat; flute in hand, he danced with singular focus - he must open the gates. Fingers flying, feet lighter than air, Taemin leapt across the ashen floor and kissed the flames that licked at the rocks surrounding him. _Open,_ he commanded. _Open and let me in,_ he focused his thoughts and extended his hand. Kneeling now at the gates, fused shut with spells and thousands of years of loneliness, he continued to play his flute. _Are you on the other side, my love?_ He wondered. _After a thousand years... I know you will not remember. But I must try_. The pretty necromancer began his incantation, and weaved his spell into every flick of his wrist and turn of his ankle. Soon, he felt the ground beneath him begin to quiver and grow restless - _it is working!_ He knew, but kept his focus. Bringing his fingers to his lips, he continued his recitations, gaze squarely affixed to the closed gates, which now began to shudder.

*

Hoseok stood at the gates, watching them quiver and shake, as though a mighty earthquake was urging them open. He looked on, fairly baffled as the gates parted, only to reveal a beautiful, panting magician in silk robes. The young man stepped forward, clutching his chest, gasping for breath; Hoseok was moved enough to reach out and try to steady him, but the stranger shied away for a brief moment before a realization dawned on his pretty face, and he let himself be held by Hoseok, who was still utterly baffled by what had happened.

“Who are you?” The little lord asked, intrigued; he wiped the magician’s brow with the hem of his silk sleeve, and steadied him to stand straight.

Taemin’s eyes grew sad, suddenly. “Do you not recognize me, my love?” the pretty necromancer cocked his head. “Because _I_ know _you,”_ he reached out a hand to touch the lord’s face. “Yes,” he said, almost to himself, “I know you... very, very well.”

And then, the beautiful boy fainted in his arms.

*

“I do not understand,” Hoseok confessed, seated once again on his ashen throne. He waved his hand and brought forth a platter of grapes, picking off a handful and placing them on his tongue before offering the rest to his guest. “Why would you risk your very soul to come to these depths and try and open the gates?”

Taemin smiled a little at that. “A task which I achieved, my lord,” he reminded him. “Here I sit in front of you, one of the great seven Yeoldaewang.” He took a handful of grapes, bending his head in thanks for the small kindness.

Hoseok smirked at the necromancer’s presumed comfort with him. “Are you not afraid of me, magician?” He asked, chin in his hand. “How is it someone as young as you are not afraid?” _Someone as beautiful as you must have a heart too pure to withstand this place comfortably,_ he remarked, the image of him limp in his arms made him feel guilty.

Taemin laughed heartily at that - and it made Hoseok’s heart ache suddenly. He turned his hands in his lap, and met the little lord’s gaze. “I am not as young as I appear, lord,” he said. “In truth, I am over a thousand years old,” he adjusted his hair ribbon, shaken loose from his dance. “As are you, lord Hoseok of the second circle.”

 _This beautiful boy is... over a thousand years old, like me?_ Hoseok studied him, made more confused with every new piece of information the necromancer gave. “How do you know about me?” He pressed on, leaning forward. 

“I have come to see _you,”_ Taemin explained, kneeling suddenly by Hoseok’s throne and taking his hand. “I have come to take you away from here, my love. I have come all this way to bring you peace, and take you to live with me beyond heaven. We have been separated too long; my heart cannot stand it.”

 _I have come to take you away from here, my love…_ The necromancer’s words rang in Hoseok’s ears. “We were… we were lovers, once?” He heard himself ask before he could stop himself, bringing a hand to his lips. “Before… before I came here?”

Taemin cocked his head sympathetically. “You don’t…” his eyes turned downcast. “You don’t remember me at all, do you, my love?” He realized sadly, though he had already suspected as much; somehow, hearing it from the lord’s lips made the hurt sting worse. “Your earthly memories were taken away from you, weren’t they?”

Hoseok suddenly recalled the words of the lord Hyunwoo when he’d first been awoken. _“You will have no memory of your earthly life, those have been taken from you; you do not need them anymore,”_ he had said. He shook his head, almost unwilling to remember that moment. His throat suddenly felt dry. “Who… who were we, to each other?” He asked. Then, he was struck by the simplest question he had yet to ask. “What is your name, young magician?”

Taemin’s eyes sparkled, and he held fast to the little lord’s hand. “My name, lord,” he kissed his hand. “My name is Lee Taemin.”

Hoseok’s eyes widened, as though hearing the magician’s name unlocked something in his heart. “Lee… Lee Taemin,” he repeated slowly. “Why does that name sit so preciously on my tongue?” He asked, almost to himself. He looked into Taemin’s eyes, desperate to understand. “Please,” he said softly, “please, tell me what happened.”

Taemin kissed his hand again, and warmth spread throughout Hoseok’s entire body. The necromancer rested his cheek on Hoseok’s thigh, content to simply be near him; he looked up at him through beautiful, long lashes, and began his story.

“My lord, we used to be so happy,” he smiled, remembering. “We had grown up together, children of the handmaids to the Empress,” he explained, his tone faraway. It made Hoseok smile, and he found himself resting a hand atop Taemin’s head, fingers lacing themselves through the loose strands of his hair. He felt Taemin relax under his touch, and he was glad of it. “We would often sneak around the palace together after dark, pretending to slay demons and cause trouble for the noblemen by creeping into their quarters and upsetting their writing tables, spilling ink… how we would laugh when they called the monks to rid themselves of the spirits they thought had done it!” He laughed a little at the memory. “We fell in love so easily, as young men. And we quickly became the favorite servants of the Empress as we grew up, playing music and dancing for her. So, when I fell ill—”

“You were sick?” Hoseok interrupted suddenly. Taemin looked up at him, and he held the necromancer’s cheek in his hand. “What happened to you?” He asked, eyes all concern.

“Yes,” Taemin continued, sinking into Hoseok’s touch, hands on his knee. “I was struck by some mysterious illness, and no one at court, not even the royal doctors or mystics, could discern what was wrong. I was on the very edge of death, but you remained by my side.” He looked up at the little lord so fondly it made Hoseok blush. “For days and days, you did not leave my side. How thin with worry you grew! Oh, my love…” he shook his head. “And then, you made a deal.”

“A deal?” Hoseok parroted slowly, beginning to piece things together at last. “I made a deal with the Yeoldaewang…” he realized. “I made a deal with them to take me instead.”

Taemin nodded his head sombrely. “Yes, my love,” he confirmed. “You performed a rite to summon the head Yeoldaewang, and you traded my soul for yours. You saved my life, but you were taken from me… as the price.”

The necromancer’s eyes turned glassy with unfallen tears; Hoseok could take no more. _It was you,_ he realized. _While you journeyed here, my heart was calling out to you the whole time… it is you who I have been aching for,_ he knew. He clasped Taemin’s shoulders and bade him rise, and drew him into an embrace, falling back into his throne. “Oh, my love…” he shut his eyes, forbidding his own tears from falling. “How you have suffered…”

Taemin gazed into the little lord’s eyes, and took his face in his hands and kissed him then, slowly and deliberately. “I would have suffered a thousand more years,” he confessed against Hoseok’s lips, “If it meant that one day I could be reunited with you.” He smiled a little. “I am so glad…” he held Hoseok’s cheek, caressing the soft skin with his thumb. “I am so glad you that are just as I remember,” he said. “You are still so very beautiful…” he kissed him again, and Hoseok felt a wave of understanding wash over him completely.

Hoseok’s shaking hands slipped beneath the folds of Taemin’s robes, and the pretty necromancer shivered at his touch. “My love,” he kissed his forehead. “Oh, my love… I felt you calling to me, my heart has been aching for so long,” he let Taemin straddle him comfortably where he sat, and pressed their hips together. “I have felt so lonely of late, and did not know why,” he explained, allowing the young man to kiss down his neck and loosen his hair ribbons, curious fingers curling through his long hair.

“The journey here from the floating world was long and dangerous,” Taemin cooed in his ear, his own hands exploring the pretty contours of the little lord’s chest where his robe had been pulled loose. “I sang songs and sutras the entire way, and wondered if my voice would reach you…” he held Hoseok’s face in his hand. “And it seems,” he kissed his cheek. “It seems that my voice did reach you, my love.”

“How I’ve missed you,” Hoseok confessed, wrapping strong arms around the young man’s slim waist and sighing into his neck, tears at last falling.

Taemin held him, and let the little lord cry into his chest. After all, they had a thousand years of loneliness to make up for; and so many tears left unshed.


	3. 기억 (memory)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *note: gayageum: a traditional Korean string instrument
> 
> *did you catch the "Losing You" song reference?

Taemin combed the fringe from Hoseok’s eyes, and kissed his forehead, perfumed sweat still clinging to his skin from their earlier activities. “I can give you back your memories,” he cooed sweetly, tracing spells onto his bare skin. “I know how,” he explained, looking into Hoseok’s eyes. “I have learned the magic to do it.” He caressed the little lord’s cheek. “That is of course, only if you desire to have them back, my lord.”

The little lord’s eyes filled with stars, taking Taemin’s face in his hands and drawing him in close for a kiss. “I am scared,” he confessed softly. “But...” he curled a long piece of Taemin’s beautiful black hair in his fingers as he thought about his answer. “If it means I can be yours again, then...” he kissed his cheek softly, “give them to me. I want to remember everything.”

Taemin rolled on top of him then, kissing him deeply and pressing their hips together, forcing a groan from the little lord’s lips against his. “I will give everything back to you,” he purred, “beginning with all of me.” He dipped his hand beneath the silk sheets and parted Hoseok’s thighs, ghosting his fingers along the delicate skin, and began to stroke him slowly, rocking his hips against him.

“How beautiful you are...” Hoseok mused, overcome with a love he had all but forgotten. “How beautiful you are, my precious magician...” he panted against Taemin’s neck, giving himself entirely over to pleasure. The little lord threw his head back against his silk pillows, holding fast to the beautiful necromancer’s hips, watching his body almost glow in the candlelight. Taemin guided one of his hands between his legs, inviting him to work him open with strong fingers.

The necromancer rolled his hips against Hoseok’s fingers, groaning happily and shivering in delight. “Oh, my love...” he whimpered sweetly, overcome. “Fill me, fill me...” he murmured like an incantation, continuing to stroke him languidly. He positioned himself and eased down onto Hoseok, shuddering completely as he adjusted to his length. He hunched down and captured his lips, cupping his beautiful face in both hands. “Write a spell inside me,” he bit Hoseok’s lip as he began to roll his hips. “Write a spell inside me and make me yours again, my lord...” He bit a deep kiss onto Hoseok’s neck, making the little lord cry out.

 _“Oh...”_ Hoseok wrapped his arms around Taemin’s slim figure, guiding him and building a rhythm with his hips, thrusting into him slowly, almost agonizingly, tantalizingly slow - Taemin shuddered, clutching at the sheets beneath him and pressing little crescent moons into Hoseok’s flesh with his nails. “Can I miss something I have no memory of...?” He breathed against Taemin’s neck, tasting the salt of his sweat and pulling his hair gently.

Taemin quickened his movements, gyrating his hips in a way that made Hoseok choke on air and stutter forward. “Your body remembers things that your mind has forgotten, my love,” he groaned into Hoseok’s open mouth, kissing him slowly. “Oh, my lord... how I have longed to be with you like this again...” he guided Hoseok’s hand to wrap around his neglected length. “Fill me, my love,” he murmured into his ear. _“Please...”_ Hoseok took Taemin’s chin forcefully in his hand and kissed him hard as he stroked him, the beautiful necromancer soon spilling into his hand as he released inside of him, warmth spreading through both their bodies at once. Taemin rolled his hips until Hoseok was spent entirely, taking great pleasure in being able to wring beautiful little moans from the lord’s kiss-swollen lips. Collapsing against Hoseok’s body, Taemin pressed feverish kisses to his chest and neck. “My love, my love...” Taemin murmured sweetly, “how I have missed the feeling of you inside of me.”

Hoseok held him close, trying to calm his breathing. He kissed his forehead. “I have not felt so alive...” he looked into Taemin’s beautiful brown eyes and was overcome with love. “I have not felt so alive in such a long, long time,” he confessed. Smoothing Taemin’s long hair from his face, he kissed him again. “Give me a memory, Taemin,” he smiled against his lips. “Return all of them to me. I want to remember everything.”

Taemin wrapped his arms around the little lord’s neck and kissed his temple. “As you wish, my love,” he smiled. Whispering an incantation into Hoseok’s ear, he closed his eyes and suddenly, everything went silent.

*

_The summer sun was oppressively warm; though it was the end of the Eighth Month, it was still so very hot - and the palace was not immune to the effects of such climate. The Empress’ quarters were quiet; she and her ladies in waiting confined themselves inside, and relied on iced rosewater and protective sutras to keep themselves cool._

_The only notable sounds came from the servants’ quarters, where two young boys were playing a game of questions, to take their minds off the heat._

_“Tell me the truth,” Hoseok pouted cutely, his cheeks flushed pink from the heat; though they’d been lying perfectly still on the lacquered floor for hours. “Who is your best friend?”_

_Taemin rolled onto his stomach and held his little face in his hands. “You, silly!” He giggled. “Who else would it be?” His sweet, round brown eyes sparkled and it made Hoseok feel warm._

_Hoseok puffed his cheeks. “I don’t know,” he admitted, trying not to smile at Taemin’s admission. “But you shared your paper dolls with Daehyun yesterday and it made me sad because we were supposed to play.” He made a face. “And Daehyun doesn’t even like them anyway.”_

_Taemin slid forward a little on the floor and pressed a little kiss to Hoseok’s forehead, not minding the sticky sweat. “I’m sorry,” he said sweetly. “You are my best friend, I promise,” he smiled at Hoseok._

_“Okay,” Hoseok managed a little giggle when Taemin kissed his forehead. The matter now closed, he thought for a moment. “Let’s go sneak into the kitchens for some sweet buns.”_

_Taemin smiled wide and stood up, pulling on the sleeve of Hoseok’s robe to make his friend rise. Hoseok instead yanked on Taemin’s little ankle and brought him falling down on top of him, and Hoseok pulled him into a hug. The little boys giggled sweetly, hugging and rolling on the floor._

_*_

Hoseok’s eyes fluttered open at the touch of Taemin’s gentle hand on his cheek. “We...” he remembered where he was, and focused his eyes back on the necromancer. “We knew each other even as children?” He asked, not quite believing it. “You were so... we were so very small, then,” he furrowed his brow. “I have entirely forgotten that I was once a child...” he looked plaintively into Taemin’s eyes for understanding.

“That was the summer I fell in love with you,” he explained, wiping the sweat from his brow with the edge of the silk bedding. “We were young, and did not understand much,” he remembered, lying Hoseok back down and resting his head in the crook of his neck, “but we did know what love was,” he kissed his cheek. “Shall I show you something else, my lord?” He whispered sweetly against his skin.

Hoseok held Taemin close, wanting more - of course, he wanted another. “Please,” he kissed the top of Taemin’s head. “Please give me another.”

*

_Taemin held the note in a protective grasp, clutching it to his chest as he slipped past the palace guards by the Northern gate and into the Empress’ expansive garden. He was on his way to meet Hoseok; the young man stepped as light-footed as he could over the smooth stone pathway, keeping to the shadows as he crept closer to their meeting point under an ancient willow tree by the pond. Reaching his destination, he held his breath, careful eyes flitting around him for any sign that he had been followed by someone other than Hoseok._

_Suddenly — an arm around his waist and a gentle hand covering his eyes. “My love,” a familiar voice whispered in his ear, “how pretty you look in your new robes,” he kissed his cheek._

_“Hoseok!” Taemin wrapped his arms around his lover and embraced him tightly. “You’re back,” he sighed happily into his neck. “I’ve missed you so,” he pouted his lips for a kiss, which Hoseok gave readily. “How was your trip to the countryside?” He asked, pulling Hoseok by the hand to come and sit with him by the water’s edge. They sat together on the cool grass and leaned on each other, blissfully aware that they could not be seen by anyone; and they knew they could speak freely at last, after so long separated. Hoseok had been on an excursion to the neighboring kingdom with the Empress; no longer simply children of the Empress’ handmaids, they had grown now; and they were expected to wait on her as well. She had taken Hoseok with her this time, for almost an entire month; he had been appointed one of her most favored musicians, and she loved to listen to him play the gayageum and sing. Though an enjoyable position, and one that came with its fair share of advantages, it did mean that he was rather at the beck and call of the Empress; and did not always have time to spend with his lover. He was glad to be in his arms at long last._

_“My most precious love,” he nestled into Taemin’s neck and let the young man caress his cheek softly, “the countryside is as unchanging as ever, and smells of fat, old cows,” he teased, making a face. “I slept so very poorly, with only my dreams of you to comfort me,” he said sweetly, kissing Taemin’s neck. “And even my dreams of you were not enough.” He slipped a hand beneath the folds of Taemin’s robe at his neck and teased the soft, alabaster skin of his chest. “I am sorry I was so long away from you,” he gently lay Taemin down on the soft grass beneath them. “Would you allow me to make it up to you?” He kissed him gently at first, deepening the kiss quickly as Taemin sighed happily into his mouth._

_Taemin wrapped his arms around Hoseok’s neck, pulling him close on top of him. “Make it up to me, my love,” he whispered against his lips, “For I have missed you far too much, and had only my dreams to comfort me, too…”_

_Another kiss, and the sound of night birds cooing in the trees._

_*_

Hoseok’s eyes flew open once more, the memory concluded and Taemin having brought him back to consciousness. He looked at the beautiful necromancer and his eyes filled with tears; Taemin wiped them away gently. “Why do you weep, my lord?” Taemin asked softly. “You are too precious to let even tears stain your pretty cheeks.” He kissed his closed eyes.

Hoseok shook his head. “How torturous it was for us to be separated for a mere month,” he realized, holding Taemin close. “That I have put us through the pain of a thousand years of separation…” he bit his lip, ashamed. “I should be begging on my knees for your mercy, my love,” his voice shook. “How could you ever forgive such a thing?”

Taemin held him close, stroking his long hair and soothing him. “It is because of your sacrifice that I am here at all, my little lord,” he explained. “It is because of the great love in your heart that we are met once again, even in Hell.” He kissed Hoseok’s forehead. “I think it is time that I show you our last moments together…” he held Hoseok’s chin in his hand, meeting his gaze. “Are you ready to see that, my love?”

Hoseok nodded, trying to be brave - he did not know what memory would greet him once Taemin submerged him once again. “Do not let go of me,” he almost begged the necromancer, holding fast to his waist. “I want to see it, but…”

“I will never let you go again,” Taemin promised. “Close your eyes, my love,” he kissed his forehead, and murmured the familiar incantation in his ear; and Hoseok sunk into the bed, eyes closed once again.

*

_“I do not care how expensive the medicines are!” Hoseok shot back at the attendant angrily. “You may use my entire salary to pay for them!” He glared at the young boy, who bowed now, cowering in front of him. Hoseok exhaled, remembering himself. “I am sorry,” he calmed his tone. “Please, visit with the doctor again and tell him that the price does not matter. And come back before nightfall,” he narrowed his eyes. “Come back before nightfall and his condition worsens or I promise you that you will have no more employment within this palace.” With that, the attendant was off like a shot, a bag of gold coins in his pocket._

_Hoseok sighed bodily, and slumped against the wall. Taemin had been ill for days now, and the palace physicians had been utterly useless in determining the cause. Worried that he might be contagious, he was sequestered in a faraway room off the Southern gate, away even from the servant quarters; Hoseok had all but moved into the makeshift bedroom with him, though, and this fact was quickly becoming the talk of the palace - though, he did not much care for the gossip. The only thing that mattered, that had any value at all, was the health of his lover. He returned to Taemin’s bedroom quickly after dismissing his attendant, and knelt by his side. He gently wiped at Taemin’s forehead with cool rosewater, stirring him from his rest. Upon seeing his eyes flutter open, Hoseok’s heart was put at ease. “How are you, my love?” He asked gently, knowing the answer would be anything but good._

_Taemin managed a weak smile, and reached for Hoseok’s hand. “I am well, Hoseok,” his voice was weak, raspy. “Now that you are by my side once more.” He read Hoseok’s expression easily. “The physician would not give you more medicine?” He asked._

_Hoseok shook his head. “I sent the page away with more money,” he explained, “even the greediest of doctors would not be able to refuse that sum. He will return with medicine before the moon rises, I promise.” He squeezed Taemin’s hand and bent to press a kiss to his forehead. “How warm you are,” he noted, combing the fringe from his forehead and loosening his robes at the neck. “Have you eaten?” He asked, glancing at the half-full bowl of rice by his side. Taemin nodded his head yes._

_“I have such dreams,” Taemin commented, apropos of nothing._

_“Dreams, my love?”_

_“I have dreams of such dark places, full of fire and ash…” he closed his eyes, the effort of keeping them open too much for him. “I have read about such places in my books…” His grip on Hoseok loosened, and he fell asleep in the middle of his sentence._

_Hoseok held onto his hand a moment longer before realizing what books he meant. “Your books…” he parroted softly. His eyes flicked over to the small study adjoining the bedroom, full of Taemin’s scrolls and records. “Surely there must be a spell that would lift this illness from you…” he thought aloud, moving to the next room and surveying the many texts laid out before him. “And if there is such a spell, I will find it. I will make you well again,” he looked back at the sleeping Taemin, and his heart broke. “I will fix you, my love,” he promised. “I will fix this.”_

*

Taemin’s eyes were filled with unfallen tears. “Wake up, my lord,” he whispered in his ear, bringing Hoseok back to him in his arms. The little lord’s eyes opened then, and he too began to cry. “Oh my love, I am sorry to have shown that to you…” Taemin let himself weep. “I am so very sorry.”

“No, no…” Hoseok shook his head, taking Taemin’s face in both hands. “Now I understand everything,” he said, the afterimage of the scrolls in his hands like a tattoo on his eyes. “I used your spells to summon the Yeoldaewang to demand to take your place,” he said slowly, piecing it together. “You were on the edge of death, and I proposed an exchange. I made a bargain with the lords of hell to save your life.” He kissed Taemin’s forehead. “I was ready to die for you, if it only meant you would be saved.” He kissed him again, lips against lips so soft it moved him to tears. “I would have lost myself a thousand times… it was better than losing you.”

Taemin nodded, looking at him so lovingly it made Hoseok’s heart ache. “You waited until I was asleep to do the work… you did not tell me your plan,” he recalled. “I would have stopped you if I knew you were even thinking of attempting magic to help save me.” The necromancer pressed their foreheads together. “But none of that matters, not now,” he said softly against Hoseok’s lips. “None of it matters now, because we are together again, and I _will_ take you away from here.”


	4. 운명 (fate)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *note: Cheonguk - heaven

Hoseok straightened the ribbon in Taemin’s hair and smoothed the front of his robe, like a worried mother might do with their child. “You look beautiful,” he smiled, indulging himself one last time and kissing him sweetly. “Are you ready?” He asked, holding the necromancer’s chin in his hand.

“I am,” Taemin replied solemnly, his beautifully round brown eyes shining with love as he looked at his little lord. “Are you, my love?” He tugged a little on the silk hem of his sleeve, and laced their fingers together.

Hoseok nodded. “The Yeoldaewang are fearsome,” he cocked his head, thinking. “But I do not think they would deny us. Not after the journey you have made. They are not unreasonable,” he knit his brows together, imaging what they might say when confronted with their proposition. “They will want something in return,” he said finally, knowing them well.

“Let them ask for the very sky to fall, and I will make it so,” Taemin smiled, unbothered. He squeezed Hoseok’s hand. “I would move mountains to remain by your side.” He took Hoseok’s face in his hands and kissed him, deeply and slow. “Come,” he breathed against the lord’s lips, “and let us see what they say.”

*

The lord Hyunwoo was pleasantly surprised to see Hoseok emerge from the ashen path and approach his throne. “My little lord,” he greeted him with a beautiful smile. “Where have you been, these past days? I have missed you, warming my bed.” He cocked his head, sensing something different immediately. His eyes darkened. “Who are you hiding, little one?” He asked, jaw set.

Hoseok swallowed hard. “I am not hiding anyone, lord,” he bent his head. “I have brought someone to your court. We must speak, all of us together.” He signaled for Taemin to emerge from the bend in the ashen path. “I have been visited by the necromancer for whom I gave my life.”

Hyunwoo’s eyes narrowed, trying to remember - and then, realization smoothed his brow. “I wondered if we would ever meet again,” he said slowly, eyes fixing on the necromancer. “How well you look, Lee Taemin,” he said, not unkindly - but the young man still shivered in his presence.

“Lord,” he bowed deeply, not wanting to offend. “I have traveled here from the floating world of the living, weaving magic into my every step and calling to the lord Hoseok’s heart all the while. I danced at the very rock gates of Hell and opened them myself, and have come to ask for the lord to be returned to me.”

The lord Hyunwoo sat back on his throne, looking Taemin up and down as if sizing him up to be devoured. Taemin did not move; he was determined not to be sent away. He chose his next words with great care. “My little lord,” he said, addressing Hoseok now, “I will send for the others, and we will hear your case,” he smirked, “now I see why you have not called for me to come to your bed in some days,” he looked at Taemin once again. “I cannot but be jealous,” he rose from his throne and whispered to a ghostly attendant, who floated away quickly to retrieve the other Yeoldaewang. “Tell me, necromancer, has the little lord told you much of how he has spent his time here, and confessed his lustful sins against you?”

Taemin knew what he was referring to, and his eyes narrowed at the suggestion. “I do not care,” he said, unwaveringly, “how my lord has spent his time since being ripped from my side. I do not care that he has ruled the second circle of Hell for over a millennium, nor do I care what pretty sounds he has _surely_ coaxed from you or the other Yeoldaewang in his desperate loneliness,” he looked back at Hoseok, whose eyes fell downcast, almost ashamed at how weak he had been. “You took his memories from him, and led him to believe that there was nothing before this.”

The lord Hyunwoo laughed. “How loyal you are, necromancer,” he conceded. “A thousand years is such a long time, and our little lord was so very, _very_ lonely without you.” He could not resist one last stab. “So lonely in fact, that many nights he needed all six of us to thoroughly _comfort_ him at once.”

“Enough!” Hoseok could take no more. “It is enough, Hyunwoo,” he stood in front of Taemin now, eyes glowing red. “Could you not see how much pain I have been in?” He demanded, trying desperately to appeal to some semblance of decency within the lord. “I have never felt so whole, so alive…” he looked back at Taemin, and smiled. “Until my magician came to find me again after so long.”

“What’s this?” The lord Changkyun emerged from the flames, soon followed by the others. “Little one, who have you brought us? A snack?” He asked, taking his seat with the others, licking his pretty lips.

“I have not brought you a soul to devour,” Hoseok clarified, watching as the Yeoldaewang all settled into their thrones, each wearing a look of varying degrees of confusion. “The necromancer, Lee Taemin, came dancing at the rock gates,” he explained. “And they opened for him. He has come to take me away from here.”

The lord Kihyun laughed heartily at that. “This beautiful young boy enticed the gates to open, entirely on his own? Am I really to believe this?” He looked at Hyunwoo for confirmation; he nodded. Kihyun cocked his head, trying to understand. “Speak up, necromancer,” he addressed Taemin. “And explain why you have dared venture here and spirit our little lord away.”

Taemin cleared his throat, bowing once again to the assembled lords of Hell. “My name is Lee Taemin, he introduced himself. “And I am the one greatest love of your little lord.” He smiled at that, secretly enjoying the subtle looks of shock on the Yeoldaewang’s pretty faces. “I believe only you, great lord Hyunwoo, know the true story, and all the details,” he looked at the lord Hyunwoo, sitting in the center of the assembled lords. “So please, forgive me for needing to retell the story to the rest.”

“Go on,” Hyunwoo’s eyes narrowed, not entirely unimpressed by the boldness of the necromancer. “Tell your story.”

Taemin bowed his head in Hyunwoo’s direction. “Thank you, lord,” he said before clearing his throat. He looked up again at each of the seated Yeoldaewang and began. “We were children together, the lord Hoseok and I,” he began smiling despite the circumstances. “He was not a lord, then, but the son of a servant, like me. We grew up in the palace together, children of handmaids and then as young men, when we became trusted musicians to the Empress. I also studied principles of magic, and kept an extensive library in my quarters,” he explained, “which is how I came to know the rituals to reach the rock gates. We were so very deeply in love,” he looked at Hoseok again, eyes soft and sparkling - it made even the Yeoldaewang Hyungwon’s heart ache to see how prettily he gazed at the little lord. “But then, I fell ill,” he continued his story, turning back to face the lords. “No one could cure it; not my magic texts, not the palace physicians, not even the doctors from the neighboring kingdom, no matter how much money Hoseok paid them for their medicines. He was desperate for me to be well again,” his eyes filled with tears, the pain of a thousand years apart still raw and tugging at his heart. “And so, he waited until I was too overcome with my fever to stay awake, and while I slept, he scoured my texts for a way to save me.”

“And I summoned you, lord Hyunwoo,” Hoseok reached for Taemin’s hand, lacing their fingers together and finishing the story for his lover. “I begged you to take me instead, so that Taemin might recover and live.”

Hyunwoo nodded, the picture being painted in full and re-activating his long memory. He leaned forward, chin in hand. “I remember that day very well, little one,” he replied, almost a faraway fondness in his voice. “How desperately you cried,” his eyes softened at last, all thoughts of jealousy having been washed away by the sincerity of Taemin’s storytelling. “You would not let me go without making a deal for your lover’s life,” he recalled, looking at the pair of them now stood in front of him. “And I, in a moment of weakness, made you a deal.”

“A deal to which he is eternally bound,” the lord Minhyuk chimed in, reminding Hyunwoo. “We have never lost a Yeoldaewang to matters of the heart before,” he leaned forward in his throne, examining the pretty necromancer. “Though, I can see why you are so adamant, little lord,” he smiled. “Look how beautiful he is,” he gestured to the lord Jooheon. “I’d happily risk anything for a taste of that alabaster flesh, would you not?”

Tittering laughter rippled through the court of assembled lords. Hyunwoo raised a gentle hand to quiet them after a moment. “And what,” he redirected attention back to Taemin, “do you propose as an exchange for taking our little lord away from us?” He asked, curious. “Are you confident that you are strong enough to accept our conditions?”

Taemin held fast to Hoseok’s hand in his. “I will bring the very rock gates crashing down to prove my devotion,” he offered. “I have studied for a millennium,” he reminded them. “And I am no longer a meek and bookish student of magic,” he smiled. “I will dance for you,” he bowed. “And if you are pleased, then release the lord Hoseok back to me and let me take him away from here.”

The Yeoldaewang looked to and fro at each other, conferencing with their thoughts. Taemin stepped back, and let Hoseok wrap a protective arm around his waist. Finally, the lord Hyunwoo spoke. “Necromancer, if you are as powerful as you say, and can dance until the very rock gates of Hell crumble at your feet,” he looked at them both, with something perhaps akin to fondness, “I will release the little lord from his contract and allow you to take him away.”

Both Hoseok and Taemin bowed deeply. “Thank you, lords,” Hoseok spoke up at last.

“We are not evil men,” the lord Jooheon reminded him. “I forget that you were once human, little lord,” he smiled softly. “We should have known that your heart is not the same as ours.”

Hoseok looked at them then, at the court of Yeoldaewang, the six beautiful men in whose beds he had spent many an hour crying in ecstasy - and who spent many, many hours in his own, doing the same. It was difficult for him to look at them as lords of Hell, in that moment - they all seemed so very human to him, even after everything. “Thank you,” he said finally. He extended a hand towards them. “Now come, and watch my magician dance the gates into dust.”

*

The Yeoldaewang seldom found themselves at the rock gates all together; there was only one throne to be sat in, and they squabbled like children over who would get to use it. In the end, though, the lord Hyunwoo simply sat down in it and made a face, challenging the others to try and remove him - no one dared, and they all consented to stand and watch from the high-up perch, leaning on the blackened balcony. Hoseok stood by Taemin’s side, not wanting to leave him even for a moment; but promised to stay out of his way. “Are you ready, my love?” He whispered in his ear, lips pressed to his cheek. “Can you really do this?”

“With you by my side…” Taemin allowed himself the intimate pleasure of kissing Hoseok’s neck in front of the Yeoldaewang, and it made several of them flush with jealousy. “For you, I can do anything,” he replied sweetly. “I have been training for this moment for a thousand years.”

“I believe in you,” Hoseok murmured against his skin. “I know we will win.”

Suddenly, Taemin’s eyes widened. “I have an idea,” he said, squeezing his hand and turning once again to the Yeoldaewang. “My lords, may I have a gayageum, please?”

The lords glanced at each other, momentarily confused. “Whatever for, necromancer?” The lord Minhyuk asked, cocking his head, trying to decipher the reason for himself.

Taemin smiled. “My lord Hoseok has regained his memories at last,” he explained. “He was once a beloved musician; and I would like him to reprise his role, just this once.” He winked at Hoseok. “I will dance the gates open,” he reiterated carefully, “but my lord Hoseok must be allowed to play for me as I do so.”

Again, the Yeoldaewang conferred amongst themselves for a brief moment before the lord Hyunwoo waved his hands, silencing them; “Granted,” he pronounced, and a ghostly attendant appeared at Hoseok’s side with a gayageum, setting it on the ground in front of him. “Let us see how beautifully our little lord can play.”

Hoseok looked at Taemin then, and their eyes had a conversation.

_Are you ready, my love?_

_I have not touched this instrument in a thousand years… you trust me to do this?_

_I trusted you with my life, once, my lord. It is an easy choice._

_I love you._

_And I love you, my lord._

And with that, Taemin began to dance.

*

The Yeoldaewang looked on, enthralled by how Taemin leapt and spun along the ashen floor, accompanied by the hauntingly pretty sounds of the string instrument plucked by their little lord. Hoseok’s eyes remained closed, feeling every note played, muscle memory and intense desire his only guide controlling the music he birthed. The flames danced around them both, at once threatening and protecting them, edges of the fire kissing Taemin’s bare feet, caressing his fingertips as he whispered his sutras to tease the gates open once again. He moved like water against the flames, the way smoke moves in the wind; fluid, stoic - singularly focused. His heart beat the rhythm of Hoseok’s strings as he played, and he danced with his eyes squarely affixed to the beautiful rock gates.

The lords could not take their eyes off of the pair; braced against the blackened granite veranda high above the lovers, afraid to even breathe too loudly lest they distract them from their task. Once again, the very ground began to shiver as Taemin continued to dance - the gates would open soon. Taemin’s brow began to glisten, but he was undeterred. Hoseok felt the ground beneath him begin to shake, and he knew what was coming; he continued to play, quickening the song. He let his newly recovered memories spur him on - memories of passing notes to each other in the night, wrapped in flowers; full-moon gazing, delightfully drunk. The first time their lips met, as young boys in the servant’s kitchen on an errand for their mothers; playing instruments together, learning how to properly serve the Empress. Pretty moans in the dead of night; tears piercing the silence when Taemin fell ill. All of it, all of it sent electric pulses through every vein in his body, and he continued to play.

Suddenly, there was a great cracking noise, and it made everyone’s heart stop momentarily - the gates had begun to move. Continuing to play, Hoseok did not dare give in to wonderment at watching the doors inch open - Taemin, too, was determined, and continued to dance. The Yeoldaewang, however, were dumbfounded by what they were witnessing, and quickly descended the winding, broken stairs to meet the lovers at the gates. The rock gates shuddered open further, clouds of dust and ash and loneliness making the air around them all hazy and grey, threatening to extinguish the surrounding flames with their darkness. “I have never seen them open,” the lord Changkyun whispered to lord Kihyun, pulling on his silk sleeve. “How is this possible?” He asked, utterly enthralled.

Lord Kihyun shook his head. “I know not,” he pursed his lips, understanding now what this meant. “But it seems that we will have to uphold our end of this promise, and let our little lord go.”

Lord Changkyun opened his mouth to protest, but was silenced by the lord Hyungwon, who pointed at the cracks beginning to form in the very rock gates themselves. “Look,” he hissed, in disbelief, “the necromancer is going to turn the gates to dust!”

“Impossible!” Lord Minhyuk squawked, incredulous. “He is just a child!” Though, his eyes betrayed real fear. Could this human really dance the rock gates into dust? He clung to the lord Jooheon, unable to tear his eyes away. “Look, look!” He urged the lord Jooheon, “the cracks are deepening!”

The six Yeoldaewang watched with bated breath as the lovers continued their work, oblivious to the lords’ gasps - the cracks in the rock gates were indeed deepening; and the ground continued to shake. “I have never seen the gates open for anyone,” the lord Hyunwoo whispered, transfixed. “And yet here they are, about to crumble at the behest of a young necromancer…” he held fast to the lords Kihyun and Changkyun, who could not bear to look away.

 _You will give him back to me,_ Taemin prayed as he turned on his ankles, spinning and letting his silk robes fly around him, hair ribbon at last coming loose and shaking free his hair, tangling with every turn of his head as he moved to the rhythm of Hoseok’s strings. _You will return my love to me, and we will leave this place,_ he narrowed his eyes, and sent a final spell through his fingers, long and pretty, pointing at the cracks in the gates; with that, they at last began to crumble. He knelt down now, clutching his chest and gasping for breath, watching as the gates fell apart, coming down in cracked boulders, crumbling at his feet.

Seeing Taemin conclude his dance, Hoseok quickly finished playing and knelt by his side. Hoseok too was panting, trying to catch his breath and calm his heart; eyes darting from his lover to the rubble that now lay around them, the ash and dust curling around them like the fingers of a lover. “Are you alright?” He asked, wiping the sweat from Taemin’s brow with the hem of his sleeve. “Look, my love,” he held him close, a protective arm around him. “You brought the very rock gates of Hell crumbling down.”

Taemin looked at the ruins around him, and knew that he had succeeded. He gazed up at Hoseok with stars in his eyes, cheeks flushed pink with the effort. “We brought them down together,” he corrected him, a gentle smile on his tired face. “We won, Hoseok,” he said, taking Hoseok’s cheek in his hand and caressing the smooth skin. Hoseok bent forward to kiss him then, and the Yeoldaewang looked on, knowing they would have to say goodbye to their little lord.

*

“But _why?”_ The lord Changkyun asked, pacing back and forth in the lord Hyunwoo’s throne room. “I do not understand why we cannot persuade them to stay here,” he huffed. “They are reunited, is that not enough? Why do we have to let him leave?” His eyes betrayed a sadness even he was not aware he held in his heart.

Hyunwoo studied him. “You will miss him,” he realized sweetly. “You don’t want him to leave us, do you? You… you _love_ him, as we all do,” he put the pieces together at last. He glanced at the others, who had been sharing the same grievance. “We made a deal,” he explained to the rest of the Yeoldaewang. “We must let our little lord go.”

The lord Minhyuk stopped whispering in the lord Jooheon’s ear for a moment, then. “What if there was another end to this?” He asked, addressing Hyunwoo. “Jooheon has had an idea,” he wrapped a gentle hand around the back of his neck, lovingly. “Tell him,” he said.

Jooheon cleared his throat. “It is but an idea, lord,” he prefaced, afraid of ridicule. “I was just thinking… if one of us is able to leave, then…” he looked around at the others. “What is to stop us from leaving, all together?”

“We are bound here,” the lord Kihyun reminded him. “It has always been this way,” he shook his head. “No, we cannot leave.”

“But why?” The lord Hyungwon echoed Changkyun’s earlier question. “By that logic, lord, the little one cannot be allowed to leave; and yet here we stand, ready to say goodbye to a fellow Yeoldaewang without any apparent consequence to the realm.” The wheels began turning in his mind. “I think we must bring in the necromancer. I have many questions.”

The lords nodded, wondering what Changkyun had in mind. The lord Hyunwoo sent for Taemin and Hoseok. “Let us hope he is learned enough to answer them,” he said.

*

“Lords,” Taemin bowed deeply. “I was told you have questions,” he straightened his back, remaining a respectful distance from the seated Yeoldaewang.

“Come here,” the lord Hyungwon extended a hand. “I want to look at you closely,” he narrowed his eyes; not unkindly, but rather in study. “Come, approach me. I will not devour you, I promise,” a tittering laugh rippled through the seated lords. Taemin swallowed hard, and approached the Yeoldaewang, standing in front of Hyungwon with his eyes carefully downcast. “Look at me,” he commanded. “Look at me properly, necromancer,” he took Taemin’s chin in his hand. Taemin lifted his gaze, and Hyungwon was struck by how beautiful he was, so close. He momentarily lost his words; the lord Hyunwoo pulled a little on his silk sleeve, and he remembered himself. “You are indeed a learned man,” he began, nodding his head as though approving of his beauty. He released Taemin’s chin, and he straightened his back again. “In the floating world of the living, you have read many, many books about this kingdom, have you not?”

“I have, lord,” Taemin replied. “I have learned all the stories and lore and magic tied to this place, and it is through that learning that I was able to come here at all.”

“As I suspected,” the lord Hyungwon nodded, pleased. “And do you know,” he ventured carefully, “do you know how we Yeoldaewang came to be here?” The other lords sat forward, imperceptibly closer, in their seats. Even they did not know how they came to exist in this realm - how could a human, a young necromancer, know the truth?

Taemin nodded slowly. “So the stories are true,” he smiled a little, understanding his position, now. “That even the great Yeoldaewang do not remember that they were once human, too.”

The lord Hyunwoo rose from his throne. “What?!” He was shocked. “Impossible,” he shook his head. “We have been here since the—”

“The birth of the world, lord?” Taemin interrupted him gently, shaking his head. “No, my lord,” he stepped closer to him, and took his hand. Hyunwoo was struck by his assumed familiarity to him, but did not shake away his touch. “No, my lord,” he said again. “You, and the other Yeoldaewang, were human once, too.”

A hushed shock struck the court of Yeoldaewang, and Minhyuk reached for Jooheon’s hand to steady himself. Kihyun stared at Taemin, confused. “Impossible,” he scoffed. “We have no memory of life in the floating world,” he reminded him.

“Because they were taken from you, my lord,” Taemin replied. “Just as my lord Hoseok’s memories were stolen from him when he arrived here,” he let go of the lord Hyunwoo’s hand to move closer to Kihyun as he explained things. “In the floating world exist thousands of texts that tell your stories,” he said, holding Kihyun’s gaze. “The texts detail how and why human souls become trapped here as Yeoldaewang, fated to mete out punishment for those who have lived sinfully. You, yourself, lord Kihyun of the fourth circle,” he took Kihyun’s hand now, “you were once a minor royal of a small kingdom, whose soul was devoured by a roaming spirit after your brother betrayed you for control of the throne. And you, lord Jooheon of the sixth circle,” he turned to Jooheon next, taking his hand in turn, “You were a great poet, whose works can still be found in royal archives; after years of inactivity, though, you begged the gods for divine inspiration, and in return you gave your soul to them. And this is where you now reside, as a result.”

Lord Minhyuk was stunned by how learned the necromancer was. “If we were human once,” he began, studying the young man, “just like our little lord, could we…” he stopped himself before he could finish his question; but Changkyun was not so cautious.

“Could we leave this place, too?” Changkyun asked, bluntly. “If you are to spirit our little lord away forever, surely we, who were once human too, could one day leave this place.”

Taemin’s eyes softened, understanding at last why the lords had been so careful and hostile to him at first. _They love him, in their own way,_ he realized. _They love him, and have grown used to him._ He considered his reply with great care, “I have been thinking, lords, of a solution that would best please everyone,” he said slowly. “May I?” He looked to the lord Hyunwoo for confirmation that he could continue; he nodded. “It is abundantly clear to me that my lord Hoseok has bound himself to you all, and that you all have, in the same way, bound yourselves to him.” He watched as understanding dawned on the Yeoldaewang’s faces. “And though I know he and I are tied to each other, I know how deeply he cares for all of you, and that in your own way, you have cared for each other here, not knowing there was any other way to live.” He motioned for Hoseok to join him at his side, and took his hand. Hoseok looked at the beautiful faces of the Yeoldaewang, and felt a fondness stir in his chest. “Tell them our plan, my love,” Taemin encouraged, gently pushing him forward to speak to the lords.

“There is a way for us all to be together,” Hoseok explained, gazing at the lord’s faces. “If that is what you want,” he added quickly.

The lords looked at each other for confirmation. “I believe it is,” the lord Changkyun spoke for them all, “I am not ready to let you go, little one,” he added, a touch of sadness in his voice. “It is clear that you are fated to be with your one great love, but…” he smiled fondly at the pair, then. “But I think we would be happy just to remain by your side, away from here.” He reached for Hoseok’s hand, and he held it in his. “Tell us how we may leave here,” he said at last.

“The gates have turned to dust,” Hoseok explained, eyes flicking back to the pile of ash and rubble. “If we were to make the journey to Cheonguk together, ascend the divine ladder and approach the rock gates of heaven,” he smiled then, imagining the scene, “and if we danced at the gates, just as Taemin had done to gain entry here, we would be allowed to enter and leave this place behind us for good.”

“Lords of Hell cannot simply demand entry to Cheonguk!” Kihyun shook his head, still attempting to process everything before him. “It is surely folly to think so, little one,” he met Hoseok’s gaze, unsure.

“And why not?” The lord Jooheon questioned him. “If a necromancer can shatter the rock gates of hell with only love and willingness in his heart, what is to stop seven of us from attempting the same, but in heaven?”

The lord Minhyuk, who had been quietly observing things until now, finally spoke up. “I do not wish to be separated from my little lord,” he pronounced, “wherever _he_ goes, _we_ will go, too.” He rose from his seat and reached for Hoseok’s hand. “Your bond to the necromancer is great, but so is ours,” he explained, facing the rest of them, now. “We have grown far too attached to you to let you journey to Cheonguk alone. We _will_ go with him, and leave this place,” he seemed to decide for the rest of the Yeoldaewang. “We are a strange little family of lost souls, are we not?”

The court agreed, and the lord Hyunwoo clapped his hands together, having also reached a conclusion. “If we too were once human as you say, necromancer,” he addressed Taemin now, “then we have just as much right to reside in Cheonguk as any other human soul. Is that not so?”

“Indeed, lord,” Taemin confirmed, still holding fast to Hoseok’s hand in his. “The magic is difficult, but the ruling is clear. Divine law is on your side.”

Hyunwoo was pleased. “Then, the matter is settled,” he said, sitting back down on his throne. “We will leave this realm behind, and travel to Cheonguk together. All seven of us, led by this beautiful necromancer.”


	5. 함께 (together)

The journey to Cheonguk was a strange and arduous one; the seven Yeoldaewang had not ventured away from their dark and fiery realm for millennia, and though they were infinitely powerful and fearsome, Taemin found them oddly childlike in their wonderment along the way, and it endeared them to him even though their first meetings had been so colored by jealousy and misunderstanding. The band of lords, led by the pretty necromancer, contented themselves by telling tales and playing word games, and they grew accustomed to, almost needy of Taemin’s stories of the floating world.

“What else did you learn, from your scrolls?” The lord Minhyuk, who had by now completely forgotten all feelings of possessiveness towards the little lord, slid up to Taemin as they walked and linked their arms. “Tell me about who I was,” he pressed, curious. “What do the living say about me?” The lords laughed into their sleeves, amused by how quickly Minhyuk had warmed to the necromancer once things had settled.

Taemin thought a moment, remembering all the stories he had read about the human lives the Yeoldaewang had lived before taking up residence in the underworld. “You, my lord,” he squeezed Minhyuk’s arm in his, “You were a great artist,” he recalled, “a master of silk painting, and a teacher of calligraphy,” he looked at him fondly, and something in Minhyuk ached. He felt warm. “Your paintings were coveted by royalty from even neighboring kingdoms, and you were beloved by many.”

Minhyuk blushed at the praise. “Was I really?” His eyes widened with childlike curiosity. “How fascinating,” he stopped walking then, and so too did Taemin. Minhyuk looked at him, serious and studiously. “You learned about all of us in such detail,” he said softly, “you knew we would have questions.”

“I confess, I did,” Taemin admitted. “I knew that once the truth about your earthly lives was revealed to you, you would be so terribly hungry for knowledge,” he looked at Minhyuk with a warm sympathy that touched the lord’s heart. “How lonely it must have been, for all of you,” he squeezed Minhyuk’s hand in his, and gently coaxed him to continue walking, catching up with the others. “I cannot begin to fathom how desperately you must have clung to each other.”

“Are you not jealous, then, necromancer?” Minhyuk found himself asking. “Of how very intimately we know your beloved Hoseok?” He had wondered, after all was said and done, how they would all begin to navigate this strange, entangled relationship now that an eighth man was added to the mix.

Taemin hummed, thinking. “A thousand years is a very long time,” he said after a moment. “And faced with nothing but sadness and oblivion and flames, and only the company of six beautiful men, perhaps I, too, would have given in to any one of you,” he replied. “No, I am not jealous,” he answered Minhyuk’s question. “I am not jealous at all. Because I know, after all of this, he loves me best and has always loved me best.”

The lord Minhyuk appeared to be quite satisfied with Taemin’s answer; he nodded, understanding. “I cannot help but be a little jealous, myself, though,” he mused, smiling coyly.

“Whatever for?” Taemin asked, curious.

“Jealous of the little lord, I mean,” he clarified. “To have known such love in the floating world, and to be reunited with you, now for eternity. How the gods must favor you both,” he said, a little sadly.

Taemin remembered one final detail that he had kept from the lord Minhyuk about what he had read in his library. “There is...” he began, eyes flicking back to the band of Yeoldaewang walking behind him again, now that he had regained his position at the front of them as they walked the snowy path. “There is one thing I have neglected to tell you, lord. Forgive me,” he said quickly.

“What might that be, necromancer?” Minhyuk was intrigued.

Taemin smiled. “Shall I tell you something special about you and the lord Jooheon?”

“My lord Jooheon?” Minhyuk parroted, interest indeed piqued. “Go on, tell me.”

“In many, many of the records I have come across in the floating world, there were accounts of the two of you being so very deeply in love. You and he were separated by the border between two kingdoms, but as artists, often traded in the same markets. Famously, the pair of you had a contest with the Empress to see whose art she preferred!” He beamed, recalling the histories he had read. “And when she could not make up her mind, and rewarded you both, you spent your winnings on a trip to the seaside together. It was a _fantastic_ scandal,” Taemin squeezed Minhyuk’s arm in his. “The records are very clear, lord. The pair of you were devoted to each other.”

Minhyuk’s eyes sparkled. “You mean we knew each other... while we were alive?” He brought his sleeve to his lips, trying to conceal his surprise and quickly reddening cheeks. “And we were lovers?” He glanced back at the lord Jooheon, who was playing a word game with Hyungwon and laughing prettily behind them. “My Jooheon...” he echoed, mostly to himself. “How strange,” he cocked his head. “Tell me, beautiful boy,” he turned back to Taemin, and spoke in a hushed voice. “Are we all... are we all connected, somehow?”

Taemin was glad that the lord Minhyuk had finally understood what made them so special. He smiled. “Yes, lord,” he confirmed. “Every single one of you was divinely bound to each other, in life. Even Hoseok, and therefore, I, too, were fated to be tied to all of you.”

Minhyuk met Taemin’s gaze then, and he at last understood.

*

Night was falling fast; and the troupe of lords led by their now-precious necromancer had only just arrived at the base of Mount Halla - and the ladder to heaven which lay hidden at her peak. Unaccustomed to the cold, the lords huddled together almost comically as Taemin busied himself making a fire, occasionally instructing one or another of the lords to fetch him what he needed. Once the fire had started, though, the lords seemed to relax - fire they recognized, and almost missed; it made Taemin laugh.

“How much longer, necromancer?” The lord Kihyun asked, rubbing his hands together, trying to warm himself.

“Are you cold, beloved?” the lord Hyunwoo cooed teasingly, wrapping an arm around Kihyun. “I will warm you,” he purred, making Kihyun blush.

The lord Jooheon clapped his hands. “Tell us more stories, necromancer, while we warm ourselves by the fire.”

“The fire that _he_ made,” Hoseok reminded the group, “How lazy you lot have become since leaving your kingdoms!”

Laughter.

Taemin sat close to Hoseok, and they all settled by the fire. “I do have one final story,” he smiled, glad that the lords had warmed to him so well. “I spoke briefly about this with the lord Minhyuk earlier,” he nodded to him then, and remarked how lovingly he had been staring at the lord Jooheon. “But the truth of it is, my lords, that you are all connected to each other; you always have been,” he warmed his hands at the fire. “In my research, though it took years and years to be certain, I was able to chart your past lives in the floating world.”

“What do you mean, necromancer?” The lord Hyungwon asked, not quite understanding. He had all but curled into the lord Changkyun’s body for warmth, and looked rather like a pretty fox in the glow of the fire.

“I mean, my lord,” Taemin stoked the fire carefully. “That all of you have been celestially bound to each other, in one way or another, ever since your first lives,” he smiled kindly at the bewildered faces around him. “And, as it happens, so are you to me, as well.” The lord Hyunwoo opened his mouth to speak, but could not find the words. He looked at Kihyun, then, and a smile grew on his pretty lips. Taemin understood. “In every single lifetime I have traced, you have always found each other and loved each other in your way. Even sent to Hell as Yeoldaewang, you forged bonds as intimate as this; and then, when my lord Hoseok joined you, he folded into your hearts so very easily, because some part of you - your human memory, it seems - some part of you remembered him, and were called to love him, too.”

A look of understanding traveled through the faces of each of the lords as they gazed at Taemin and then to each other in turn, and back again. “How can this be?” The lord Changkyun asked. “I do not understand...” he looked to the lord Hyungwon for clarity, and took his hand. “We have always... we have _always_ found our way back to each other? In every single life we have lived?”

Taemin nodded, grasping Hoseok’s knee and squeezing. “It is true,” he confirmed. “I have charted the stars for hundreds of years, and I have seen each of your life paths written out in the divine edicts each time.” He looked around at the lords, eyes soft. “It seems as though you seven truly are destined for something far greater than this,” he said, a little smile on his full and pretty lips. “It will be my pleasure to help break the gates of heaven open for you to live there.”

*

The lords Hyunwoo and Kihyun lay side by side on a makeshift bed of cloaks and blankets, looking up at the stars - something they had never done before. They marveled at how pretty and twinkling they were; how very far away they seemed. Kihyun slipped his hand into Hyunwoo’s, and sighed. “We will reach the gates of Cheonguk soon,” he mused, resting his head against Hyunwoo’s shoulder. “We will be among those stars.” He rolled onto his side and looked at the lord, caressing his cheek. “Do you believe everything the necromancer has told us?” His eyes could not help but betray worry. “That we seven have always been fated to be together?”

Hyunwoo held Kihyun’s hand against his face, and kissed his fingers. “I do,” he said after a moment. “That boy braved the journey down into the depths of our kingdom, risked his life to open the gates,” he turned to better face Kihyun. “And he risked his very soul to have an audience with us and demand that we return the little lord to him. I do not think he would lead us here falsely; I believe there is not a single untrustworthy bone in his beautiful body.” He searched Kihyun’s eyes, and remarked how pretty he was in the moonlight. “How funny it is,” he mused, “that knowing now how entangled we have all been, since the start… how funny it is that I seem to love you even deeper than before.”

Kihyun blushed at the lord Hyunwoo’s admission. “How different you are, when we are alone,” he remarked, slipping a delicate hand beneath the folds of his robe at the neck and loosening them. “I did not know you could be so poetic.” He kissed his neck softly.

Hyunwoo smiled at that. “According to the necromancer, I was a poet, once,” he replied, kissing Kihyun slowly. “Shall I write a poem inside of you, my beloved?” He teased, rolling on top of him and parting his thighs easily, a practiced hand undoing the silk sash at his waist. “Let me…” he kissed down Kihyun’s neck and bare chest, his robe fallen open prettily against the blankets in the snow and all thoughts of the cold completely vanished.

*

The familiar sounds of desire on the wind made the lords Jooheon and Minhyuk smile as they lay together under a protective fir tree, the branches shielding them from gently falling snow. “Tell me, my lord,” Jooheon cradled his head in his folded hands, resting atop the lord Minhyuk’s chest. “What did you and the necromancer really speak of, when you walked together?” He remembered the surprised look on his pretty face then, and was curious. “Did you learn something shocking?” He smiled, playful.

“I suppose I did, and yet did not,” Minhyuk replied, a hand curling through the lord Jooheon’s hair. “He explained that we were all very much connected, intimately at that,” he recalled, “But that you and I, especially…” he took Jooheon’s face in his hands, and looked at him carefully, studying his great beauty. “You and I have always been special to each other, above the others.” He kissed him slowly. “I have always loved you best.”

Jooheon melted into Minhyuk’s embrace. “I suspected as much,” he could not help but smile at the lord’s admission. “You have always preferred my company all to yourself, and never liked it when I warmed the other lord’s beds.” He kissed Minhyuk’s neck. “How possessive of you, my dearest lord,” he teased, teeth against pretty alabaster flesh. “Would you like to devour me now, and keep me all to yourself for eternity?” He asked, pressing their hips together and feeling arousal build between them.

“My beautiful Jooheon,” Minhyuk purred, loosening his robes at the waist and exposing the smooth skin of his chest, kissing to his navel, “I will take great pleasure in doing just that.”

Jooheon fell back against the trunk of the great tree, and gave in to the lord Minhyuk’s lips around him.

*

The lord Changkyun woke gently to the feeling of Hyungwon’s lips on his skin; it made him smile. “Can you not sleep, beloved?” He asked, voice raspy with fatigue. He cupped Hyungwon’s cheek in his hand, and smiled. “How gentle you are with your affections,” he noted, kissing his forehead.

“I confess, my little wolf,” Hyungwon sighed, eyes flitting upward to look at the stars above them, “Since leaving our fiery realm and traversing across the land of the floating world, I have felt myself become… more human.” He cocked his head, thinking again of the necromancer’s words. “And my heart seems to ache for your company, above all others,” he nestled again in the crook of the lord Changkyun’s neck. “You would not turn me away, surely?” He kissed his shoulder, lips lingering against bare flesh.

Changkyun pulled the lord Hyungwon on top of him and coaxed his robe open a little so that he might kiss his chest. “I have never denied you before,” he reminded him. “And I would hardly like to start now,” he kissed him, face in his hands, and pressed his tongue gently at the seam of his lips, asking them to part. Hyungwon allowed him to deepen the kiss, and he sighed against his lips. “How delicious you have always tasted, my lord,” Changkyun cooed sweetly, biting his lower lip. “I want to make you utterly mine… _only_ mine, forever.”

Hyungwon melted into the lord Changkyun’s embrace and parted his thighs, pressing their hips together and wringing a pretty little moan from his lips. “As you wish, my little wolf,” Hyungwon purred. “Make me only yours.”

A night bird sang overhead, and it made the pair smile into each other’s arms.

*

Apart from the others, resting on each other and whispering sweetly in each other’s ears and against pretty necks, Taemin and Hoseok gazed up at the stars and the unmoving, full and glowing moon.

“Look how very beautiful the moon is,” Taemin coaxed Hoseok’s chin up from where he lay on his chest. “We are almost arrived, my love.” He kissed the lord’s cheek, and held his face in a gentle hand. He studied Hoseok’s face in profile, and saw that he seemed contemplative. “Tell me, lord, what is on your mind?”

Hoseok shook his head, not wanting to concern his lover. “I was simply lost in thought for a moment,” he explained, “you are indeed right; the moon is beautiful. I was only thinking that I had never seen…” he puckered his lips, realizing that was not entirely true. “That I had not seen the moon in such a long time,” he corrected himself. “I am experiencing the beauty of the floating world entirely anew, like a newborn child, it seems,” he smiled, and drew Taemin close, kissing his forehead. “And I do believe,” he slipped a hand beneath the folds of Taemin’s robe, teasing the beautifully smooth skin of his chest and hips, “I will spend the next thousand years thanking you for it.”

Taemin beamed, from the very middle of himself; wrapping his arms around Hoseok’s neck, he drew him in close and curled his legs around him. “And how will you do that, my handsome lord?” He asked, teeth against his neck.

“Let me show you…” Hoseok replied, kissing down Taemin’s chest, and lovingly parting his thighs. “Let me show you how very beautiful you are, my learned necromancer.” He snaked a practiced hand beneath the silk folds and teased delicate skin, making his lover shiver with delight at his touch that he had at once so quickly become accustomed to, and yet still craved like oxygen. “Oh, my love…” Hoseok purred, stroking him slowly. “To be blessed with an eternity by your side…” he kissed down his chest and took him into his mouth at last, and Taemin cried out; piercing the night with his sighs.

*

The journey had taken twenty days and twenty nights; but now, the band of lords reached the apex of Mount Halla; and they looked to the necromancer, unsure of what they must do next. “How do we ascend the ladder, necromancer?” The lord Jooheon asked, curious. “What would you have us do?” He held fast to Minhyuk’s hand, and the gesture made Taemin smile.

“Worry not, my lords, I will call it forth,” Taemin replied. “The ritual is simple enough,” he smiled, indicating that he needed a little room to do his work. The lords stepped back, enthralled by the way Taemin adjusted his robes, and knelt in the snow, murmuring his incantations. They waited in absolute silence, for fear that any unnecessary utterance might disturb the young man’s magic. As Taemin began his recitations, a plume of lavender smoke began to curl around him; he raised his hands towards the sky in supplication, body swaying enticingly as he murmured his sutras.

The others could not take their eyes off him even if they wanted to; he was surely a beautiful sight to behold, entrenched in the snow and calling forth the hidden ladder to heaven. The very mountain beneath their feet began to quiver and shake, and they fixed their eyes to the kneeling figure in front of them, amazed. The sky seemed to split open, then, and a shimmering ladder made of stone and white smoke came into view; the lords’ gaping faces a comical tableau. Taemin turned back to face them, and held open his arms. “Come, my lords,” he bowed slightly. “Let us walk the final few steps up to heaven.”

Two by two, the lords linked arms cautiously with one another and followed Taemin and Hoseok up the ladder; not a sound was uttered between them, for they did not know what to expect - would the gods strike them down before they even reached the top? Lords of Hell had never made this journey before - at least, there was no written account of such a thing happening, even in the necromancer’s expansive library of scrolls and records. Even the beautiful magician held his breath; though he had been brave enough to chance his very soul to enter the depths of Hell to retrieve his lover, entering through the gates of Heaven was an entirely different task. Was his heart pure enough? Were any of theirs? It was a risk he knew they must all take; but, as they continued to climb, and were undisturbed by neither spirit nor god along the way, Taemin’s mood lifted - they would succeed! Surely, he and the lords would succeed!

The necromancer knew they were reaching the top of the ladder - he could feel the calm, vibrating energy of the heavenly plateau; he knew they would soon be approaching the gates. “Look, beloved,” he called down to Hoseok, “we are nearly there! I can see it!” He stepped off the last rung of the ladder and rolled gracelessly onto the rock plateau, reaching his hand down to pull Hoseok up the rest of the way. Hoseok collapsed playfully on top of Taemin, laughing breathlessly at the audacity of their triumph and taking in the sight of the beautiful stone and marble gates. He waited at the plateau’s edge and pulled up first the lord Hyunwoo, who then, in turn, pulled up the lord Kihyun, and so it went until each of the lords stood now, panting in exhaustion and excitement, marveling at the beautiful gates that were so different, and yet somehow so very like the rock gates of hell that it made them ache.

“How beautiful,” the lord Hyungwon held his sleeve to his lips, concealing his wonderment as he ran a careful hand delicately over the carved gates. He turned back to the necromancer. “Is the ritual similar?” He asked, curious. “Are you not drained from crumbling the rock gates of our realm, necromancer?” There was a touch of worry in his voice, and Taemin was moved by his concern. He smiled.

“Therein lies the majesty of it, my lord,” he replied gently. “I cannot open these gates on my own.” He looked at each of the lords in turn, and grinned. “We must all dance together, to bring these gates shaking open.”

And so, Taemin brought the lords close, and taught them the ritual magic that would entice heaven’s gate open; there was a chorus of worried protestations, but the necromancer quickly eased their concerns - their hearts were pure enough, strong enough, and their souls worthy enough, he said; all would be well. Following Taemin’s instruction, the lords stood side by side and began to dance.

A beautifully fragrant smoke began to curl around their swaying bodies, the scent of hibiscus and honey and roses filled the air around them and made the lords dizzy; but they dared not lose focus. Keeping their eyes squarely affixed to the necromancer and the gates, they leapt and turned across the stone plateau and echoed the sutras that spilled from Taemin’s parted lips; the perfumed smoke seemed to kiss at the hems of their silk robes and caused them to flutter about, seeming to turn the lords into beautiful silk swans. Soon, the ground began to shake; the lords knew their ritual was working, but still they continued on. Their chanting quickened at the instruction of the necromancer, who knelt before the gates and focused on the seam of the sealed doors while the others continued to turn on their ankles and dance. Sweat began to form on their brows, but they cared not; for the ground beneath them grew warm and the shaking increased, and the doors began to shudder open, a pretty cloud of white, fragrant dust and smoke in its wake.

Taemin stood before the opening gate, and his eyes sparkled with pride and promise - they had succeeded! He slumped to the ground, exhausted. The lords, upon seeing the necromancer collapse in front of the opened gate, understood that the ritual was done and immediately came to his aide. “Necromancer!” The lord Changkyun held him in his lap, patting his cheeks. “Necromancer, are you hurt?” He asked, soon joined by Hoseok, who smoothed the hair from his brow and kissed him, pulling him into his lap.

“Beloved,” He soothed, seeing Taemin’s eyes flutter open at his touch. “Look, look,” he coaxed Taemin’s face toward the opened gates. “We have succeeded, my love,” he said proudly. “We have brought the lords to heaven.”

Taemin clung to Hoseok’s robes. “I am glad,” he murmured, exhausted. “I am so glad.” He reached for Hoseok’s cheek and held it in his weak hand. “Let us go inside, now,” he looked lovingly into Hoseok’s eyes, and sighed. “Let us go inside and begin our new eternity, all of us, together.”

Hoseok bent down and kissed him softly, scooping the young man up in his arms and rising to join the other lords in marveling at their triumph.

And so, hand in hand, the seven Yeoldaewang and their beautiful necromancer proudly entered through heaven’s gates, leaving their past lives behind them and with excitement in their hearts to start afresh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> stick around for the following chapter, an epilogue explanation of themes and metaphors!


	6. 발문 (epilogue)

Thank you for clicking through to the epilogue! 

I wanted to lay out an explanation of the themes and metaphor of this piece - I wrote this entire thing in the span of less than a week, inspired by Taemin's "Criminal" dance stage which can be found [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3FbS81s-DA). I have joked that I felt rather like the monk who wrote the Codex Gigas in one night, after making a deal with the devil to inspire his hand. I've never written such an extensive piece in so short a time! But I am very, very proud of it. Here is what inspired it: 

Taemin has danced at the gates of hell now in two of his recent MVs: WANT, and Criminal. These beautiful images have stuck with me for a long time, and I have always wanted to write about them in some way. Seeing the linked live performance video, of Taemin dancing in fire and lava on stage, really cemented the imagery to me. So, I wrote this piece.   
  


[[EDIT, January 2021: shortly after I published this story, the MV for Taemin’s Idea came out - my last chapter is strikingly similar to the scene where he is dancing on heaven’s plateau, with his dancers wearing feathers; he himself describes them as angels with him. Get out of my head, Taeminnie!]] 

However, the problem remained - what was he dancing the gates of hell open for? Who was he trying to see? And then, happily, [this](https://ibb.co/p331z2x) photo of Wonho came across my twitter feed, and I knew I had the beginnings of a great story. 

I'm sure you were able to figure it out along the way, but this is the metaphor and message of the story: the realms of hell can be understood as SSE (for obvious reasons); Hoseok wanting more, being dissatisfied and feeling as though he is stuck is a reference to the drama of October 2019 (I am **_not_** saying he _**wanted**_ to leave SSE, but come with me on this journey, okay?) Taemin and his journey of 1000 years of searching (us, and our protests!) represents the love of monbebe/wenee who showed him that there was a way through his despair, and the millennium they were "separated" is a reference to the months that Wonho was separated from us, his fans who love him; Taemin “giving back his memories” is an allusion to Wonho redebuting; and traveling to heaven, with his six fellow lords (the rest of MX) is an allusion to what might be, once they are reunited and can have the freedom to perhaps move to either a different agency or simply step into their own individual power and demand better for themselves. 

Because, in the end, even though our little family of seven men is separated, I really do believe that they will find their way back to each other. They started as seven, grew up as seven, and deserve to continue living happily as seven men who adore each other and who love us, too. So, let's keep fighting and supporting the cause to reunite our favourite boys, right? 

Thank you for reading! I would love to read your thoughts, so please leave a comment if you enjoyed my work! 


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